Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-10-14
The Train Dispatcher.

There is class of railway employees,
almost entirely unknown to passengers,
whose responsibility is so much greater,
and whose slightest omission might jeop-
ardize the lives Of people on trains more
than any oversight on The part Of con-
ductors or engineers, that it is indeed
strange that they are so seldom men,
toned in the public prints. This class
is the train dispatchers, whose every or
der is implicitly obcyed by trainmon,
and while the crew Of ono train is re-
sponsible for the movements Of that train
alone, the dispatcher holds in his hands
the lives Of every individual on overy
train on the road. and on road having
a large traffic the duties imposed on him
are very great and arduous.
His position in the railway service is
unique; were all trains running on time
and provided for on the periodical time
table issued by the company, he would
have no duties to perform; but trains
will get delayed and occasions will arise
requiring extra trains, or trains without
any specified time or rights. to be run
over tho road, aud thon his services are
necessary to avoid hours Of delay.
All trains on railroads arc divided in
classes, according to their Importance,
generally two, passenger and freight;
and all trains of one class running in
specified direction have the right Of tho
road, or need keep no lookout for trains
of the same or lower class running in
tho opposite direction. Thus it is as
sumod that on certain railroad trains
running eastward have tho right Of way
over trains running westward; then an
east bound passenger train can run the
whole length Of the road in entire dis-
regard Of all trains, another passenger
train going west need only to look out
for the east bound passenger train while
the freight trains must keep out Of tho
way of both passenger trains and Of the
freight train which is running in the d.
rcction prescribed as having the right of
road
Every one understands that all trains
are chartered or have time given FOR
passing each station. which time can in
no instance be anticipated, and hence all
ought to be thore at that particular mo-
mcnt, il on time, but as trains frequent
ly and generally get late the train of in
ferior class may be delayed for hours
awaiting train that may have been
wrecked or has been kept back for some
other of many causes. Then the duties
of the train dispatcher are of import
ancs. He will probably give an order
to the delayed train by telegraph direct
ing it not to go beyond certain place
which he thinks it can reach without
difficulty and no directs the opposing
train TO proceed to the same place and
thore pass tho other train and in that
manner the trains arc enabled TO pass
each other without any delay to either.
His great responsibility consists in that
he may have dozen other trains 10 his
charge at the same time, and in direct
ing one rain to 60 beyond its usual place
to meet another he may neglect to give
an order to the second train, and in such
an event collision would probably on
sue, much property be destroyed and
probably lives be lost
1t will readily be seen that the slight
est mistake Of train dis patcher might
cause serious results, and in this respect
his responsibility is probably greater
than that Of any other individual under
whose charge the public arc placed
PHILADELPHIA Times.